Bad Day
by littlesunnywalter
Summary: "When life slopes down, it's just taking a slow-mo to prepare itself back up. It secretly makes up wonderful surprises, too. So get ready, you're up for an unexpected ride!"
1. Chapter 1

_Walter's notes:  
I really liked Hetalia before and promised I'd write something for the fandom. Apparently, I fell out before I could start with AmeriCan, AsaKiku or RoChu.  
But this is for my Kismesis, ffnothingicansay, who ships said pairing of this fic. Although I ship SuFin more, this is not a bad ship. I like it, too.  
Maybe this ship will pull me into Hetalia again. Just maybe._

_For ffnothingicansay: I GLUB-HATE YOU WITH ALL MY BLACK HEART._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Rain drummed a harsh rhythm against the waiting shed's roof. It made puddles on the pavement and licked the roads slippery wet. The canal gurgled as it surged inside the grimy underground.

Cars dashed past him; metal bodies and windows all glistened with drops. Dim headlights flashed as they came, but they were all private cars, taken taxi cabs, or buses. He just needed an empty cab to lift him to another city.

Perhaps the curtain of rain obscured him from normal vision. And the late afternoon glow began to fade, which did not help the plight. The atmosphere spun into a gloomy pale grey show.

"What a shitty day…" Ludwig huffed.

_Pit-pat, pit-pat, pit-pat, pit-pat…_

The rain's mantra still continued, but, for a second, the German hoped for something impossible. He hoped for a surprise, another serendipity.

Years ago, on an awful day like today, serendipity came to his path. That serendipity appeared in the form of a tall Swedish man called Berwald, who was his present-day lover. It was on this very waiting shed that they had met. The rain also witnessed their first encounter. Both blondes just came home from work as the afternoon slowly lapsed into night.

At first, Ludwig was leaning on the shed's pole, with closed eyes and brows furrowed in frustration, he had commented, "What a shitty day…"

"Indeed."

The calm voice opened his eyes and he immediately noticed another man in the shed, too. "Sorry," the blonde stranger uttered, but looked rather indifferent.

"Had a bad day, too?"

"Not really. I like the rain."

Ludwig's brow arched in mild interest. "So… going home from work, I guess?"

"Affirmative."

"And you don't live in this city?"

"Correction: I don't live in this country."

"Neither do I." A smile suddenly danced on his thin lips. It was an odd, yet warm feeling, to find another non-American citizen in the wide land of mass that everyone knew as Land of the Free.

"Do you _not _like it in here?"

The question made his smile quickly disappear. "It's not like that…"

"It's the rain then, isn't it?"

A pause. A realisation. A nod. "Yes…" he slowly dragged the last syllable in a dignified echo. "I just want to… go home."

More cars sped past them. The rain didn't stop yet. Lampposts had woken up, they yawned a dim orange light onto the wet pavements.

"You know the trick about not missing home?" The stranger was giving Ludwig a piercing look, but he found himself mesmerized. "The trick is to bring your home on the stranger's land."

* * *

_Walter's end notes: This is just a one-shot, but I decided to divide the scenes into more chapters because I don't want to have a bulky story. Yeah. Will update soon. Otherwise I'll be murdered by said Kismesis. And I'm too hot to die. JK JK. Promise to finish this asap._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Will I ever see you again?" The question abruptly flew out of Ludwig's lips, as if his lips had its own brain. He stared at the other guy, waited in suspenseful silence, the thuds in his heart roared loud enough to drown the rain.

The rain.

He looked around. It had gone already.

"I'm Berwald. From Sweden. In the capital." The stranger approached him and held up a hand.

He shook it first, then, "Ludwig, a pure German. Although in my childhood, I skipped to Austria for fun." A heartfelt laugh bubbled from the two of them. He couldn't believe that he had cracked a joke—and someone had actually laughed.

"Where are you staying at?" Berwald asked. "If you don't mind me asking…"

"Away from here." He quickly said. "Literally."

Berwald shortly chuckled and said, "I share an apartment with four other pals. It's actually two blocks from here, a ten-minute walk. You see, the bus turns left there," he pointed at the corner, "so I stop here and walk. Since it was raining, I stayed for a while. And you seem like an interesting person. And very nice. And you're a foreigner, too."

"You don't say…" The German had no idea where the point of the conversation was going until…

"It's a busy place, where I'm staying. I believe there are more taxis there."

"Alright, then."

Although it was totally random and off-course, he felt that Berwald was just simply doing him a favour, an act of kindness, definitely nothing creepy. They walked in silence. Heels clicked behind them. The rain already disappeared once the night fully showed up.

"Thanks…" Ludwig had broken the silence at last.

The Swedish man merely nodded in acknowledgment. It was back to silence again. Their heels and the howling wind pervaded; an evident stiffness wrapped around the both of them until they turned up on the street where Berwald was living.

He was right, the road was busy. Noise swept up the whole landscape and brighter lights flashed rather scintillating against the dark. He couldn't say enough thanks to him when an empty cab pulled over at the side.

Ludwig watched the tall Swede cross the road and enter a tall building. The dark masonry looked red and fresh. Five rounds windows per floor and a pointed green top, he wondered where he would stay until the top window lit up as an answer.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Sunlight spilled all over his face the following afternoon, not a single drop of rain or a cloud of grey that hovered the waiting shed. He drew a hand to shield his eyes. Casually, he looked around the place for the umpteenth time.

It had been a day since he met that Berwald stranger, and he wondered if he would meet him again. This time, not by coincidence, but really on purpose. A strong urge to befriend the Swede was burning in his lungs. He simply had a good feeling about it, nothing creepy, of course.

Buses came to stop by the waiting and he anticipated a tall blonde, good-looking and bespectacled, to materialize. He didn't take note of what time they had exactly met, so he merely stayed in the shed right after work. Even if precious minutes went to waste, he leaned over the pole expectantly.

Strange, that he was waiting for someone he barely knew. He usually didn't care or minded strangers, since they were everywhere. He hadn't made a single real friend when he was stationed in America. He knew his boss, a few of his co-workers, but to think about someone (let alone _wait _for someone) had never been his thing. Yet he was here, waiting for a someone, disregarding his own habits, when he should've been at home, typing away.

"Another shitty day?"

"Oh." He spun around and saw Berwald approaching him with a thin smile. "How are you?"

"Fine. You?"

"Good."

"Really? Sure?"

The German nodded calmly. In his mind, he screamed and broke into a mini-panic. He hadn't thought about what would happen when he met up with Berwald. He simply wanted to see him. "H-how are… how are, uh, how—"

"Fine. Thanks. You?"

"Yes…"

"Pardon?"

"Ah, did I say something?"

That made the Swedish blonde laugh, and to his surprise, he grinned widely. He definitely liked the sound of it.

"Ah… hey, are you free right now? I was… just… deciding whether I should have an early dinner or what. Do you mind joining me?"

"Hmm," Berwald's blue eyes shot upwards as if the answer was hiding behind the clouds. "I think I should invite you to dinner in my place instead."

"What?"

"Just come with me. You'll like my friends. We're all foreigners, if that helps." But it was Berwald's friendly and warm smile that he was after, not the warm thought of new friends. And perhaps with luck, he'll be able to hear more of Berwald's sweet laugh.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Warm feelings swelled up in his head, in his chest, in his core. The soul could feel it, and he was glad he accepted Berwald's dinner offer. It was one of the best random life decisions he had ever made.

They were down on the first floor. It was the Icelandic guy's space, and (so he assumed) they were seated on a big round dinner table in the entire apartment. There were four vacant chairs and five occupied ones beneath a spotlight of whiteness It seemed like an ordinary dinner. Two platters of chicken, a big bowl of rice, and a silver pot of corn soup; it was a simple meal, but to Ludwig, it was the best dinner he ever had since he was stationed in this country.

"Are you guys always like this?" he had asked Berwald, who was at his right. A shorter man named Tino (who was Finnish) sat at his left, quietly sipping his soup.

"You mean Andersen cracking awful jokes? Yes. But we're used to it. We laugh along for the sake of shutting him up. Apparently, he doesn't."

"At least the way he delivers the jokes is funny." Tino piped in.

"Correction: his face is funny." Lukas spoke with a blank face. He was the one who lived upstairs, on the second floor. Ludwig learnt that he was an artist right after waking up from a faint. Earlier, upon entering the apartment, his nose was quickly assaulted by the strong scent of paint, varnish and thinner. He felt too dizzy, unexpectedly passed out, then woke up from the aroma of the soup.

"Are you all just laughing because of my face? _Seriously_?"

A resounding 'yes' erupted from Andersen's housemates. Then a boisterous laughter, accompanied with clinking of spoons and forks against utensils, followed after.

"Really mature, guys… _really_ _mature_…"

"Don't worry, your face is still handsome."

"Ayy, Lukas just called Andersen handsome!" Tino cheered and looked sideway to Emil, who in turn muttered something, then drank from his cup.

Ludwig had no idea what was happening, but he still enjoyed the company of these new people. Also, he got to see Berwald smile more naturally and laugh a little longer. Andersen, though he really did punch horrible lines, really did have an animatedly comical face, which made everyone happy.

The dinner ended with the Danish blonde accidentally spilling his soup on Lukas' lap. Lukas, still pokerfaced, slapped him… then gave him a kiss on the cheek. They started talking in different tongues, and he took this cue as a time to part their lovely domicile.

"Ah, you're not staying for the night?" Tino asked him.

"Even if my workplace is closer in these parts, I must leave. Work must be done immediately. Thank you very much for your time and hospitability." He shook each of their hands and they nodded, smiling as they parted with the German.

"Still want to hang out some time?" Berwald asked him as they stood on the entrance door. Ludwig was down the porch and when he looked back, he could help but smile.

Five new friends stood by the doorway, watching him leave. It was the warmest scene in autumn. He had hailed a cab, but before he got in, he saluted to them. They saluted back, all smiling and waving farewell.

"See you soon. Thanks again!" Then he shut the door after getting in.

The taxi sped away from them, but the warmth still washed over him. Ah, good feelings. His intuition was right. Befriending Berwald would bring him some kind of happiness.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It had become a habit to meet up with Berwald in the waiting shed. They always had time to spend it together, right after work. Sometimes they'd only spend an hour, in a coffee shop, in small cafeterias, in parks, in streets that would wind up God-knows-where. If their workload was comparatively lighter, they could kill so many hours with business, politics, jokes and tidbits of their childhood, until the stars have shown up.

More exchanges of snippets of their lives were unfolded and shared over a cup, over a snack, over a glorious break from the strenuously mundane employee life. A table for two in the late afternoon had soon become their favourite part of the day. Both blondes always looked forward to it, and couldn't get enough of each other's company. They couldn't even tell that weeks had gone by. Or that the months had faded away. Soon, years, had already collapsed.

It wasn't enough. To them, they only had begun. Five years couldn't have possibly be over already.

"I'm so sorry…" Berwald kept on saying this, but it didn't help the German to feel any better.

His day couldn't have gotten any worse. He tried to fake a smile and nodded in full understanding. "Okay." Then he leaned against the tree, looked up at the cloudy sky. Huge clouds hovered above the park and threatened to rain. With arms crossed, he asked, "D-do you… really have to go?" He kept his blue eyes away from the Swede's face and asked with a slight tone of annoyance.

"It's in my contract, Ludwig. I'm very sorry."

The rain fell abruptly, without any warning. It hammered on their briefcases, their sophisticated clothes, their blond locks, their sad faces. These drops were the tears they could neither shed in public, the unspoken emotion that raged through a violent storm of cloudy denial.

All of a sudden, Berwald wound his arms around Ludwig, and he found himself in an embrace. He didn't push him away, he didn't move an inch. Only the quiet tears streaked down his cheek.

When Berwald pulled away, their hands were still connected. They gazed into each other's crystal blue eyes and in that moment, they only wanted to stare forever, to drown in the pool one another's blue irises. They would never forget such sad eyes. They would never forget the heartbreaking sound of the rain drumming against their bodies.

Berwald lifted their hands, then asked, "Do you tango?"

"Why would I?"

"You see, in Sweden, we celebrate something called queer tango. And I-I'm not saying I _am _gay, but... dancing... in such a gloomy weather... seems like a bright idea." And he held the German in position, ready for a dance. "What do you say, Ludwig?"

"Lead me," Ludwig whispered against the storm.

Their legs swung to and fro, synchronized and rhythmical. Their wet torsos rubbed against each other. Whilst Berwald bore his eyes on the German, Ludwig couldn't help but look down. He was unsure about the moves. He had never danced before. Clouded with shame, he looked up at the Swede and muttered apologies as he swayed along the movement of his partner. Berwald held him tight and he tried his best to follow along, sliding his feet, pointing a bit his toes, bending his knees. They went around, locked in the dance, in a stare, in a moment that suddenly ended as it had just begun.

His first dance. With a stranger. Beneath the sheet of rain. A bitter cold farewell.


	6. Chapter 6

_Walter says: Welcome to the last chapter people._

* * *

**CHAPTER 6**

The ride to the airport was a raucous trip. It felt like no one was going away. Ludwig joined, riding in Andersen's Dodge Grand Caravan, seated at the back with Berwald. With Andersen right behind the wheels, Lukas by his other side, that left Tino and Emil on the second row's passengers seat.

The entire trip had a jovial mood, lighter than he expected. Andersen still cracked jokes, and that earned some playful punches from Lukas. They laughed, shared some stories, exchanged tidbits of the past, reminisced once more. For the last time.

Tino turned around to face Berwald. "Don't forget about us, okay?" he smiled, but his eyes glistened with tears that threatened to fall. He reached out to him and ruffled the Swede's pale locks.

"'Course I won't. How could I?"

"Does this include me?" Ludwig shyly asked. It was meant to be a joke, but Berwald smiled charmingly and replied, "How could I?"

_Yes, and how could I? _Ludwig thought. _  
_

The question still bothered him til the present, after all these years since Berwald's departure. Three years have collapsed into a less exciting life, packed with dull mornings, mundane afternoons, and empty nights.

_How could I? _He caught himself asking this question to himself, again; the question with no answer. It was the question that pulled him back to his original place, under the waiting shed. Reminiscing had killed time. The afternoon was slowly morphing into a dark night.

The sound of traffic and the rain welcomed him back. Some buses stopped by the shed, but he knew better than to hope for some miraculous serendipity. He was on his own. His daydream had already slipped away, just like the years, jumped off to a hole in the past. He was back on earth, with the rain, in the waiting shed, on a bad day after work.

Rain drummed a harsh rhythm against the waiting shed's roof. It made puddles on the pavement and licked the roads slippery wet. The canal gurgled as it surged inside the grimy underground.

Cars dashed past him; metal bodies and windows all glistened with drops. Dim headlights flashed as they came, but they were all private cars, taken taxi cabs, or buses. He just needed an empty cab to lift him to another city, away from this place that strong memories clung to the very ambiance of the place.

"What a shitty day…" Ludwig huffed.

"Hey."

Ludwig's eyes grew wide. "Ich mein-"

"Ludwig?"

He spun around to face... "Oh... it's you, Andersen."

The Danish man cracked his signature grin and ran a hand down his wild locks. He opened his mouth, no joke flew out, but instead... "When life slopes down, it's just taking a slow-mo to prepare itself back up." He looked straight at Ludwig. "It secretly makes up wonderful surprises, too. So get ready, you're up for an unexpected ride."

"What?" The German was surprised at quite a profound thing to say on a moment like this.

"What brings you here? Bus? Cab?" Andersen asked, as if nothing happened and he didn't hear the German's inquiry.

"Ah... cab." Ludwig hesitantly told him.

"Heh. Berwald used to..."

"Yes. We met up here, eight years ago."

"Knew that. He told me."

They both sighed loudly into the chilly atmosphere.

"I miss him." Andersen dropped the words, heavy and leaden on his tongue. Oddly, he was smiling.

"Very much," Ludwig added in helter-skelter.

* * *

A parade of raindrops stomped harder as the night fell upon the city. Ludwig stared out the awakening streetlights. Orange light bathed the dark pavements. Outside the window, the world blurred into vague colours. The taxi's movement was speeding down the road, but he didn't care nor worry. He couldn't bring himself to, not when thoughts of missing someone was plaguing his head. His heart banged slowly, achingly, as nostalgia coursed through his bloodstream.

It was still raining when Ludwig got out of the cab and walked into the suite. He pushed open the front doors. The lobby slapped him with an air of coldness.

"Good evening, sir," greeted the woman behind the reception desk. She gave off the obligatory smile that accompanied her greet, just as usual. And Ludwig nodded in acknowledgement, just as usual. He took long strides to get to the elevator by the side of the lobby.

"Ah, sir-"

He halted. Turned his head. Raised a brow. A questioning face.

"I..." the receptionist spoke, sounding slightly guilty with her eyes cast down on the carpet. "Your guest has already arrived in your room, sir."

"Guest?" The tone of his voice sounded incredulous.

"Y-yes, sir. A guest. Were you expecting someone, sir? He seemed to know you very well. I gave him the keys, he insisted on it, sir. I'm so sorry! Should we call for security, sir?"

But Ludwig shook his head and said, "I think I can handle that so-called guest myself. Thank you." And he strode to the elevators.

Up it went, to the 20th floor. The polite _ding _of the doors opened to a corridor of dark green carpet and pale cream walls. He turned left,then right. Soon, he stood in front of room 2014. He jammed the keys in. The lock clicked. The door creaked. Total darkness beamed from the other side. Nothing felt wrong or off-course.

He flicked on the lights. His living room was illuminated. Nothing changed. No presence of another being in sight. "Hello?" he called out warily, stepping inside.

"Had a bad day?"

Ludwig jolted in surprise. He darted his eyes around the room. But there was no one on the living room. The door to his bedroom was closed, so was the bathroom. He dashed to the kitchen. It was clean and empty. He slammed his fists on the counter. _God, you're hallucinating... But... no, it was... too real. Right?_

Then a strange air of chilliness ghosted over his neck. He cocked his head back, then noticed the doors to the terrace were opened wide. Curtains were billowing by the doors. Rain continued its symphony outside. Something moved. He sprinted to the open doors, advancing towards the terrace til the rain touched him.

In the dark, he could see a figure, donned in dark blue. From the edge of the terrace, a tall blonde man turned around from the railings and looked at Ludwig with the most lovely piercing blue eyes. The rain drummed harder against their bodies. The chilliness was melted with a bubbling heat.

Berwald came closer and wrapped his arms around Ludwig. The heartwarming embrace stabbed him in a soft spot and that sent Ludwig sobbing, in both disbelief and delight. Thank god for the rain, but his shoulders heaved up as he convulsed. "I thought I lost you." he cried against the Swedish man's chest.

Berwald pulled his chin up, then planted a well-placed his on Ludwig's lips. Lips locked for a moment as the rain hammered upon them.

When they pulled away, laughter rose up and echoed into the night. Such sweet smiles were shared. Berwald rested his forehead upon Ludwig's own. He spoke in a soft voice that sent butterflies to the German's stomach.

"Can I have this dance?"

* * *

_Unexpected. I cut the feels. Hope you enjoyed it! But I can promise that this won't be the last SweGer I'll be writing! _


End file.
